They are both about being alone, but the difference is a state of mind.
According to merriam-webster.com:
Solitude (noun) is “a state or situation in which you are alone usually because you want to be.”
It defines
Lonely (adjective) as being “sad from being apart from other people.”
Language… has created the word “loneliness” to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word “solitude” to express the glory of being alone.
– Paul Tillich
Here are what some people, including a genius or two, have to say about the glory of being alone.
“Without great solitude no serious work is possible.”
– Pablo Picasso
“The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.”
– Albert Einstein
“The best thinking has been done in solitude.”
– Thomas Edison
In these times of rapid social changes, we can easily get detached and lonely, despite gadgets (and sometimes because of them) that are supposed to help us connect with others. As Henry David Thoreau said, “It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?”
In the song “Message in a Bottle,” Sting wrote of “a hundred billion bottles” with messages washed ashore and concluded “Seems I’m not alone at being alone, hundred billion castaways, looking for a home.”
“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.”
– Henry David Thoreau
Perhaps we should pay more attention to Solitude. In the silence, hear our inner voice, find our way when we feel we are lost, see and appreciate the poetry in the universe.
Solitude. What separates it from Loneliness is a State of Mind.
WOW FANTASTIC WORK!
I love how you write! keep posting! 😊
Check out my latest post: https://wisketofgem.wordpress.com/2016/02/27/what-siquijor-left-we-with/
Have fun! 😊
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Loved this. Expresses for me so much I struggle to say. Just wrote Badfish a long thing about it. And I don’t hear Sting but somewhere in the background is Jesse Colin Young singing Ridgetop. Hmm, maybe I’m still fighting too hard for external solitude and will now focus on the state of mind. Dang. I knew that. Thanks. I forgot.
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Ridgetop is such a great classic song, could be a perfect soundtrack. It does help for us to sometimes step back and see where we are, whether on a ridgetop physically or in our mind. Thanks for the comment!
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As an introvert, I’m quite familiar with the joy of solitude. Thanks for this beautiful expression of that feeling.
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Yes, introverts recharge by getting some “alone time.” A joy indeed.
Thank you for sharing!
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So true. I think the lack of solitude is having a negative impact on the world. It is hard to be “alone” anymore.
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Yes, it’s strange that with all the technology around, we are becoming more busy instead of having more time for ourselves. We really have to find time for “cocooning” occasionally.
Thank you for dropping a line!
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[…] of Mind andy townend state of mind Crafting Photolog Weekly Photo Challenge: State of Mind Solitude Is Not Loneliness – Nes Felicio Photography The Rebel Chic Emptiness State of Mind / WPC – Sonia en Route Chris Breebaart Photography / […]
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I thought I felt someone crawling around in my head…must have been you.
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🙂 Your post on life in Aspen is resonating with a lot of people. There must be something people today are looking for… Thanks for sharing your stories. Am one of those waiting for part 2!
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Nesfelicio, Yeah, I don’t know exactly what it is, but everyone has a past, and maybe it’s good sometimes to really think about it…in a good way.Thanks for hanging out here and joining the comments.
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I am choosing solitude today and it is invigorating.
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Happy for you. “Alone” time is a human need. Time is very precious, and we deserve to gift ourselves with time.
Thank you for sharing…
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A very astute post! I often travel alone but this doesn’t mean I feel lonely! People often ask. I have used you post as inspiration for post number #130 my “photo a day” blog “You Inspire Me” I have linked it back to you. I hope you like it!
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Thank you! Indeed modern society sometimes equates being alone with alienation.
Your new phot blog is looking good! Thank you for the lead.
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Very true. I love being alone, but not always feeling lonely.
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A lot of people do. 🙂 Thanks for dropping a line!
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Perfect pic and thoughts for the challenge 🙂
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Thank you!
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[…] inspiration comes courtesy of Nes Felicio Photography. Please check out this very astute […]
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Keep coming back to your post. Very inspiring! I am doing the photo 101 course through The Daily post and today’s theme is solitude. I have mentioned your post to my classmates!
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Thank you, I appreciate it and I’m glad it struck a chord. Your post and photos with the moon are great! By building on it, you have made the thought your own too.
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[…] marvelous quotes used today were found on a very astute post by Nes Felicio Photography – Solitude is not Loneliness. Please check it […]
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[…] Unfortunately this is often misunderstood as shyness or unfriendliness. Nothing could be farther from the truth. And introverts are not lonely. I wrote about the difference between solitude and loneliness in this post. […]
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[…] my post Solitude Is Not Loneliness I wrote that “we should pay more attention to Solitude. In the silence, hear our inner […]
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